Second cap for Heaton

Tom Heaton’s international career until last night was just three minutes of a friendly against Australia at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light prior to the Euros, that was until he was called upon to play the second half last night at Wembley against Spain.

I try to avoid taking in too much of Clive Tyldesley’s commentary and even less the comments of yesterday’s man Glenn Hoddle, but I certainly did pick up on the news just before half time that Tom would be coming on for the second half.

England led 1-0 by then and that soon became 2-0. For much of the second half it looked as though Heaton would keep a clean sheet until he was beaten twice late in the game as Spain came back to draw 2-2.

He couldn’t possibly have got near the first of them, a superb finish, and although the second went through his legs it would be very difficult to apportion any of the blame at his door. He should have expected far better from his defenders on both goals.

Michael Keane, meanwhile, was an unused substitute as we patiently waits for his first full international cap, one that will surely come sooner rather than later.

England don’t play again until March. They face Germany away in a friendly before returning to the World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania at Wembley.

Heaton wasn’t the only Burnley player to make a substitute appearance last night. Johann Berg Gudmundsson came on during the second half for Iceland in a friendly in Malta and got an assist on their second goal in a 2-0 win.